Cubs' Andrew Cashner cruises into sixth, but exits with injury

With a roster filled with well-paid veterans past their prime, the Chicago Cubs were thrilled this spring when 24-year-old Andrew Cashner won a spot in their rotation with a solid Cactus League showing.

And he did not disappoint in his first major league start Tuesday afternoon, pitching very well into the sixth inning as the Cubs took a 4-1 lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

But just like that, he was leaving.

Cashner left the mound accompanied by a trainer in the top of the sixth inning and the team later announced he was suffering from tightness in his right shoulder. He is scheduled for an MRI exam on his shoulder.

Cashner was in line to earn his third major league win, and first as a starter, but the Cubs bullpen coughed up the lead before Chicago rallied for a 6-5 win.

But the specter of a shoulder problem is unsettling both for he and the Cubs.

Cashner gave up just two hits and one run -- a Ryan Roberts home run -- in 5 1/3 innings Tuesday. His ability to win the job made it an easy decision for the Cubs to release Carlos Silva despite Silva's $11.5 million salary.

Now, given his tender age, the fact he's never pitched more than the 111 innings he logged last year and the shoulder tightness, it would figure the Cubs treat him very carefully this season. Manager Mike Quade said after the game that he was hopeful they got Cashner out of the game "before anything bad happened."

That may create opportunity for another young pitcher. Should Cashner be disabled, the Cubs would likely turn to James Russell, a left-hander who also entered this year without a major league start to his credit.

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